Initial Memory Usage: 348072
Pre-Assignment Memory Usage: 348072
Post-Assignment Memory Usage: 1171368
Post-Unset Memory Usage: 1171368
Pre-Assignment Memory Usage: 1171368
Post-Assignment Memory Usage: 1171368
Post-Unset Memory Usage: 1171368
Pre-Assignment Memory Usage: 1171368
Post-Assignment Memory Usage: 1171368
Post-Unset Memory Usage: 1171368
Final Memory Usage: 1171368
Peak Memory Usage: 1994664

<?php
/* Try calling this script with ?unset=1 to see what happens when you unset the 
 * variable at the end
 *
 * paul reinheimer
 * <firstname>@preinheimer.com
 * http://blog.preinheimer.com/
 */

loopOverStuff();
highlight_file(__FILE__);
function loopOverStuff()
{
    $var = null;
    echo "Initial Memory Usage: " . memory_get_usage() . "<br>\n";
    for($i = 0; $i < 3; $i++)
    {
        echo "Pre-Assignment Memory Usage: " . memory_get_usage() . "<br>\n";
        $var = getData();
        /* Do stuff here?
         */
        
        echo "Post-Assignment Memory Usage: " . memory_get_usage() . "<br>\n";
        if (isset($_GET['unset']))
        {
            unset($var);
        }
        echo "Post-Unset Memory Usage: " . memory_get_usage() . "<br>\n";
    }
    echo "Final Memory Usage: " . memory_get_usage() . "<br>\n";
    echo "<b>Peak Memory Usage: " . memory_get_peak_usage() . "</b><br>\n";
}


function getData()
{
    $a = str_repeat("This string is exactly 40 characters long", 20000);
    return $a;
}